comedian tracy morgan returns to his saturday night home live from new york. "nightly news" begins now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news". reporting tonight, thomas roberts. good evening. tonight millions of americans are bracing for winter weather from mother nature and only four weeks into fall. in fact, some parts of michigan have already reported more than 5 1/2 inches of snow. from the midwest to the northeast and far south to alabama, there are freeze warnings and watches. out west, more rain is in the forecast, which could add insult to injury if more mudslides are triggered where waist-deep mud already shut down roads and trapped drivers this week. nbc meteorologist dylan dreyer starts us off. >> reporter: a winter blast across the northeast and parts of the midwest today, from new york to michigan and pennsylvania. it's only october. >> i woke up this morning, and i said, "happy birthday" to my husband, "i got you a gift." there's snow outside, two inches of snow, and he goes, you've got to be kidding me. >> reporter: virginia have. vermont's resort isn't scheduled to open, but the trails are covered in snow. >> the trail is covered in white. it almost looks like the resort is open. >> reporter: at mt. washington in new hampshire, temperatures there plunged to 20 degrees this morning, winds between 60 and 70 miles per hour. hikers are being reminded to stay alert. >> it's very dangerous conditions out there today. visibility is very low, borderline whiteout conditions. there's a lot of thick fog in addition to all the snow. >> reporter: meanwhile, in southern california, the cleanup continues after flash floods triggered massive mudslides late this week. abandoned cars still stuck in the mud. and today, homeowners are digging out. >> we're going to have to replace all the flooring and cabinets. >> reporter: wade has lived in lake hughes for 50 years. >> it's everywhere, too. i mean, we've cleaned our house probably 15 times and can't seem to keep the mud out. >> reporter: now it's the southwest bracing for rain, while new england bundles up. we are looking at the coldest air so far this season as this polar blast surges down from canada, and it is going to settle in across the midwest and the northeast, where we do have freeze watches in effect that extend all tennessee. st. louis is included in that, where tomorrow morning, temperatures will be close to freezing. even lexington, kentucky, starting off the day at 29 degrees. now, sunday afternoon not much of a rebound. temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s. cleveland about 48 degrees, new york city 51. portland, maine, 48 degrees. that's about ten degrees below average. now, because of this colder air crossing over the relatively warmer waters of the great lakes, that's going to trigger lake-effect snow in northwestern pennsylvania, up near erie. could end up with one to three inches of snow. in the meantime, we're looking at about one to three inches of rain out in the southwest. this is going to trigger flash flooding and also the potential of mudslides. keep in mind, there is ample pacific moisture streaming in from the south. and we will see a widespread half an inch up to two inches. some of the downpours could produce up to two to three inches of rain in a short period of time, so flash flooding and mudslides will be a big concern, especially as we go through tonight and throughout the day on sunday. thomas? >> dylan, thank you. we have some more progress to report from texas tonight in the battle against a big and devastating wildfire. authorities say the so-called hidden pines fire east of austin is now about 40% contained. it has burned about 4,600 acres and destroyed more than 50 buildings. officials say it will take several more days to get it under control. about 200 firefighters are currently battling that blaze. in arizona, this is how it looked as a large dust storm swept through the phoenix area. it was caused by a flow of warm, moist air from the same all that rain and flooding to southern california this week. the dust and sand were whipped up by winds that gusted to more than 60 miles per hour. we turn our attention overseas to another violent day in israel, where at least five palestinians were shot and killed after carrying out attacks with knives. the unrest has prompted increasing numbers of israelis to arm themselves, and we get more tonight from nbc's bill neely. >> reporter: filmed by an onlooker, an israeli civilian in white holding the gun he's just used to kill an 18-year-old palestinian who police say attacked him with a knife. another palestinian, aged 16, tried to stab a policeman checking his i.d. he was shot and killed. so, too, a 16-year-old girl, shot by a policewoman she tried to stab. attempted murders, dead attackers and more funerals, this one for a fourth palestinian whose attack was caught on camera. the man chasing and stabbing a soldier before he was shot and killed. most of the attackers are from east jerusalem, and most are palestinian teenagers with israeli i.d. cards, free to move around with no criminal or terrorist record. and so far, neither israeli checkpoints intelligence can stop these attacks. for their families, the young attackers are heroes. on t-shirts, the photograph of a 15-year-old who tried to stab two civilians and was killed. his 13-year-old cousin also had a knife and was injured. >> he's not innocent. he tried to kill, murder, knife to death an innocent israeli youngster. >> reporter: israel says they're terrorists. >> they are 13 years and 15 years terrorists. i don't know what to say. they are children. >> now i carry this thing around just in case. >> reporter: many israeli civilians are now arming themselves. today, more clashes. they've been growing for weeks. palestinians convinced israel wants to remove more of their rights. their fury and the daily stabbings mean israel is spiraling further into conflict no one seems able to stop. bill neely, nbc news, jerusalem. he is most wanted in both mexico and the united states, and tonight we are learning more about the recent close encounter authorities had with joaquin "el chapo" guzman, whose sinaloa cartel is the biggest elicit drug supplier to the u.s. nbc's mark potter was the first to report that el chapo was injured and now has new details about the fugitive. >> reporter: with mexican troops still on their manhunt, the mexican security ministry issued a statement confirming the nbc news exclusive report that fugitive kingpin joaquin "el chapo" guzman is now injured, having suffered leg and facial wounds while moving quickly to avoid recapture. three sources tell nbc news that american agents recently intercepted phone calls indicating chapo was hiding on a ranch in the rugged sierra madre mountains near the tiny town of cosala. mexican marines raided the ranch but faces heavy gunfire, and sources suspect chapo and his security team may have escaped on all-terrain vehicles. agents say chapo grew up in the mountains and knows where to hide and is protected by local residents, including officials he pays as lookouts. >> get the word out, hey, there's something different going on here in the area, and that word spreads. boosted his legendary reputation in july, when for the second maximum security prison. on video from his cell, with audio released for the first time, loud hammering can be heard over the sound of a video player. right before he drops down a hole into a tunnel. the tape also reveals it took 37 minutes after his escape before guards entered the cell to examine the escape hatch, giving chapo a huge lead. the sophisticated, mile-long tunnel had lights and ventilation, and as we found, a motorcycle on tracks with a cart in front. >> chapo guzman himself may have used the cart a little bit to come through the tunnel to escape. >> reporter: officials from that prison and a pilot are now charged with helping chapo escape. u.s. authorities are confident they'll eventually get him. >> today he is a dead man walking. there is -- it's only a matter of time. >> reporter: for now, though, chapo remains on the run, his trail once again gone cold. mark potter, nbc news, miami. it is the biggest unanswered question in washington and beyond this weekend, will he or won't he? we're talking, of course, about a possible white house run by vice president joe biden. we get the very latest tonight from white house correspondent kristen welker. >> reporter: today, vice president joe biden focused on family with his grandkids at sporting events in delaware. behind the scenes, those close to him say presidential run is today, nbc news learned that on friday, biden spoke shapeburger, the president of the association of firefighters, for 20 minutes. familiar with the phone conversation, biden told schaitberger he is running for president. the union is one of the most influential labor groups in the u.s., and their support could be key, if biden runs. the vice president was schaitberger while speaking at an event for the union earlier this year. >> he's one of the few in washington, d.c., who always remember that we had his back. >> reporter: the clinton campaign has been actively courting labor groups and has not received the endorsement of the firefighters union. a late biden entrance could upend the democratic race and shake up the clinton campaign. today, secretary clinton in alabama trying to build on the momentum of this past week, her strong debate performance and rising poll numbers. emboldened, she again took aim at the republican front-runner. >> donald trump and the koch brothers, for all their money, they each. >> reporter: and while secretary clinton said the vice president should have space to make up his mind -- >> there does come a point where a decision has to be made, but certainly, i'm not in any way suggesting or recommending that the vice president accept any timetable other than the one that is him. he has to make this decision. >> reporter: her surrogates are trying to pressure him to stay out. >> i don't see that we're lacking anything in the field, you know what i'm saying? i think the field is a good field, and i don't see that there's a space. >> reporter: biden is watching all of it as he nears a decision, including clinton, who faces a critical test on thursday when she testifies before the congressional committee investigating the benghazi attack. she'll undoubtedly also face tough questions about her e-mails. the stakes are so high, clinton is leaving the trail to prepare. thomas. >> kristen welker at the white house. kristen, thanks. and chuck todd will have much more on the 2016 presidential race tomorrow morning on "meet the press." republican candidate ted cruz will be among his guests. some positive signs are being reported tonight about lamar odom. the former nba star who remains in critical condition after being found unresponsive at a brothel in nevada earlier this week. we get the latest tonight from nbc's jacob rascon. >> reporter: when lamar odom woke up from his coma and spoke for the first time, his mother-in-law, kris jenner, said on instagram, "it was an answer to prayer." his estranged wife, khloe kardashian, by his side since entering the hospital on tuesday, keeping uncharacteristically quiet, only asking the owner of the brothel where odom was found unresponsive to respect his privacy. >> like they ran the world and i'm supposed to just fall in line with the kardashians' wishes. no, i'm not going to do that at all. tell khloe to go to hell. >> reporter: we met dennis hoff late last night at one of his other nevada brothels, telling us he put lamar in his vip suite on one condition -- >> you can't bring drugs in here. and he agreed to that. >> reporter: hoff says after already spending $75,000, odom was planning to extend his stay when they found him unconscious on tuesday. >> they need to hurry, please, because he's got blood hanging out of his nose. >> one of the girls said, he said he was doing cocaine before he got there on saturday. >> reporter: sources close to odom telling our sister network," e!" doctors found multiple drugs in his system and that odom suffered a stroke and brain damage. >> the doctors had been warning and indicating to the family that, look, this could go on for weeks, months. we can't predict it. >> reporter: the extent of odom's brain damage is still unclear. kris jenner telling "access hollywood," he is still "very, very critical." the former nba champion on the court turned reality tv star improving but far from recovered. jacob rascon, nbc news, las vegas. >> reporter: when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, it is a popular birth control device putting some women at risk. and later, live from new york, the triumphant return of a beloved star and his whatever you're doing, plan well and enjoy life... or, as we say at unitedhealthcare insurance company, go long. how you plan is up to you. take healthcare. make sure you're covered for more than what just medicare pays... consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company... the only medicare supplement plans that carry the aarp name, and the ones that millions of people trust year after year. always have a plan. plan well. enjoy life. huh, fifteen minutes could save car insurance. well, did you know that playing cards with kenny rogers gets old pretty fast? you got to know when to hold'em. know when to fold 'em. know when to walk away. know when to run. you never count your money, when you're sitting at the ta... what? you get it? i get the gist, yeah. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent we're back with health news and a study out this week that adds to concern about a popular contraceptive implant. the device is used as a nonsurgical alternative for women seeking permanent birth control. our report tonight from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: it is the only nonsurgical, nonhormonal form of permanent birth control available. >> unlike getting your tubes tied, the essure procedure is >> reporter: approved by the fda, essure is used by 250,000 women. some of those women, including kim hudak, are questioning the device's impact on their health. >> physically, it has completely compromised my health in almost every aspect. >> reporter: she says over 14 years, essure has led to a host of problems -- severe headaches, spasms, bleeding, and eventually two surgeries, including a hysterectomy. looking for answers online, kim discovered >> at first, i was relieved, and then i was horrified that all these women had the same problems as i did. >> reporter: that group has more than 20,000 members with varying complaints. so, a device that women chose to avoid surgery may actually create a surgical need for them? >> absolutely. >> reporter: now a new study led by dr. art sedrakian of new york's medicine, says planting the essure in the fallopian tubes can lead to more complications than traditional surgery, a risk that he says is ten times greater with essure. >> in many instances, we believe this is a reflection of the device failure, and these procedures are done to correct the failure of the device. >> reporter: bayer, the manufacturer, says over a decade of experience supports the safety of essure and that the single study has a number of limitations and makes several assumptions that require clarification. dr. sedrakian says he does not want the device banned. he wants women to have more information about potential problems. >> we asked the fda to take steps towards obtaining more high-quality data. >> reporter: the fda is taking a second look at essure, listening last month to women and their doctors. the agency says it will review the study, calling the issue a high priority. anne thompson, nbc news, new york. in a moment, he is back and ready to make us laugh once again from a very famili every insurance policy has a number. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. for those who've served and the families who've supported them, we offer our best service in return. usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to some cash back cards love to overcomplicate things. like limiting where you earn bonus cash back. why put up with that? but the quicksilver card from capital one likes to keep it simple. real simple. i'm talking easy like-a- walk-in-the-park, nothing-to-worry-about, quicksilver earns you unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. it's a simple question. centrum brings us the biggest news... in multivitamin history. a moment when something so familiar... becomes something so...new. introducing new centrum vitamints. a multivitamin that contains a full spectrum of essential nutrients... you enjoy like a mint. new centrum vitamints. the coolest way yet... to get your multivitamins. there's a lot of excitement here on 30 rock tonight as tracy morgan prepares his much-anticipated "saturday night live" almost a year and a half after he was critically injured in a deadly car crash. we get more on this mott mott. >> hi, i'm tracy hosting "snl" this week with musical guest demi loevento. >> tracy, it's great having you here again. >> reporter: live from new york, it's tracy morgan, making his triumphant return to center stage a year and a half after a crash that killed his friend and left tracy in a coma with a bad brain injury. and tracy being tracy, somewhere. >> did i used to work here? worked here for like seven years. >> i can't remember >> oh. oh, my god, i'm so [ laughter ] >> i'm messing with >> what? >> yeah, i remember. i remember everything. >> oh, thank god. >> yeah, i remember you owe me $72. >> reporter: outside "snl" studios, fans camped out for >> i think he'll be back stronger than ever. >> he used to be one of the best on "snl" forever. >> you want to see him on his game and the show. >> reporter: at "snl," the exhibition blocks from the real show, comedian todd small talks about morgan's long history of overcoming setbacks. >> you've got to look to the truth and the pain and it stays there and that's where you've got to live. you've got to go with the truth and that's what tracy does better than anybody, illustrate a story and tell the truth, and >> reporter: small wrote an op ed in the "new york post" this weaning heralding morgan's comeback, writing "since the hand you dealt seems to be a joke, you decide to tell the joke." on twitter, morgan called the piece "beautiful," warning, "don't make me cry, i've got a show to do." in june in an emotional interview with matt lauer, there were tears, but the recuperating morgan made a promise. >> i love comedy and i can't wait to get back to it. but right now, my goal is just to heal and get better, because i'm not 100% yet. i'm not. and when i'm there, you'll know it. i'll get back to making you laugh. i'll promise you. >> keep clapping for me, bobby! >> reporter: tonight he's keeping his word. >> tracy's back. >> reporter: thankfully, for all of us. >> keep clapping. >> reporter: ron mott, nbc news, new york. >> tracy morgan is back and welcome home. coming up, a unique store where fashion and fit take on a whole new meaning. it's the final countdown! the final countdown! if you're the band europe, you love a final countdown. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. i brought in some protein to get us moving. i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength. yeeeeeah! new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. ensure. take life in. amerivest selects the funds and manages your portfolio. no no, you can talk to a person anytime. 'cause i don't trust robots. right...well, if the portfolio you're invested in doesn't perform well for two consecutive reimburse your advisory fees for those quarters. i wasn't born yesterday. you were born yesterday. happy belated birthday. thanks. for all the confidence you need td ameritrade. you got this. romantic moments can happen spontaneously, so why pause to take a pill? and why stop what you' re doing to find a bathroom? with cialis for daily use, you don' t have to plan around either. it' s the only daily tablet approved to treatperectile dysfunction so you can be readypanytime the moment is right. plus cialis treats the frustrating urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to gopfrequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. why pause the moment? ask your doctor about cialis for daily use. for a free 30-tablet trial go to cialis.com it's not a doctor or a hospital, but it is a place that's making a difference for someone in fighting the battle of their lives. it's a special store tucked away in louisiana, started to honor the memory of one woman, now helping many others. nbc's janet shamlian has our report. you like that? >> reporter: it may be the most unique shop in baton rouge. >> this is great. >> reporter: trendy clothes and shoes. the best part about kelly's closet, no price tags. it's all free. >> i felt like a kid in a candy store, like julia roberts on beverly hills, rodeo drive. >> oh, my god, very curly. >> reporter: it's a rare chance for sharon stevens, undergoing treatment for uterine cancer, to feel like herself again in clothes that fit. >> it's great. >> reporter: everyone who shops here deduction. >> look at the brown ones, how pretty this is. >> reporter: is in a fight with cancer. the store dedicated to a woman who lost hers, kelli richmond. this began as kelli was going through chemotherapy and saw so many patients who had lost so much weight, using safety pins to tighten their clothes. >> she looked at me one day, and she said, mama, she said, i'm so lucky that we could buy new clothes. she said, what could these people do? >> reporter: kelli's parents say she dreamed of helping other women. when she passed of ovarian cancer, they her. >> we had so many unbelievable. >> within 60 days, we filled the store up. >> reporter: with mounting bills from treatment -- >> this is cute. >> reporter: -- alicia hamilton says it's one >> cancer does not discriminate against the rich or the poor. it doesn't matter. >> how are you ladies >> reporter: now she spreads the word in hospitals. >> we have hats, we have wigs, we have shoes. >> reporter: sharing shopping spree. forget you have cancer when you come in the door, which is great. we just sign in, put our doctor's name and have at it. >> reporter: proof positive that treatment is more than just medicine. >> i like it, too, i think. i think i'm going to keep this one. >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news, baton rouge, louisiana. >> and that is "nbc saturday. i'm thomas roberts york. thank you for watching and have a great night. ready to head out when others head home. at eversource, we prepare for ugly weather all year long. upgrading technology, managing vegetation, improving how we get information to you, because we know you're counting on us. and we want to make sure you're ready, too. visit eversource.com to learn more and signfor storm uptes.